Waste ombudsman, Freedom of Expression Commission | Authoritarian debate techniques are encouraged – but this is not what is brave

Norwegian contemporary dancers never cease to surprise.

You may remember the fuss over the Waste Ombudsman and the Waste Commission last summer? Then it was the leaders Kristine Karåla Øren and Eva Grainger of the association Norwegian Dansekunstnere who started the ball:

In an input document to the Freedom of Expression Commission, they accused the Waste Ombudsman of creating hateful, discriminatory and offensive expressions, incitement, harassment, threats and violence against Norwegian artists.

Øren then came out hard on NRK evening news and told about death threats, swastikas on the door, threats of rape and serious crimes.

All because of the Waste Ombudsman Are Søberg and his followers.

The ear was of course asked for documentation. But she didn’t have that. Not later either.

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Nor did anything happen when stage artist Morten Traavik announced a bounty of up to NOK 250,000 for anyone who could document serious threats that could be linked to the Theft Ombudsman.

And not last week either, when even NRK found reason to react:

In a chronicle in Journalisten and Medier24, editor Ole Jan Larsen and producer Henrik Hylland Uhlving pointed out the strange reception the documentary film “Prosjekt sløseri” had received among some Norwegian film critics. They believed that the film was “one-sided” and that it “did not include the other party’s point of view”.

In the chronicle, Larsen and Uhlving countered that the reviewers and their media – more or less unconsciously – are helping to undermine the public debate.

The purpose of the film was precisely to survey the allegations of threats against Norwegian performing artists in the shadow of the Waste Ombudsman’s mention of them. The result?

The filmmakers found no serious threats. And worse:

None of those who hurled forward the undocumented allegations of threats would stand up to defend or substantiate them.

Nor the trade association Norske Dansekunstnere, which in a board decision blamed a lack of “capacity” to be able to prioritize participation in the film. Nor did they have the capacity to appear on Dagsnytt 18 last week to meet Larsen from NRK for a debate.

No wonder the film was “one-sided”, in other words.

But it is in such a situation that the leader of Norwegian Dance Artists, Kristine Karola Øren, is nominated for the honorary award The Golden Wolverine of the so-called Scenekunstbruket – a large, public distributor of performing arts in Norway, owned by Norwegian county municipalities.

The jury was particularly impressed by the confederation leader’s against or boldness:

Under the category “The (d) jerveste of the year” they write in the nomination text that Kristine Karåla Øren “has managed her role very well. Took a clear stand in the summer of 2021, didn’t budge an inch when it stormed the most”.

Don’t budge an inch, that is.

There are many opportunities to be sarcastic here. But the serious thing is that this new “debate technique” seems to be on the rise here in Norway as well.

It comes, like much else, from the USA – where the woke movement on one extreme and the Trump wing on the other have for a long time made it a point of parade to hurl lies, false accusations and undocumented claims at each other.

Last year we saw it here at home when leader Begard Reza of Salam (the organization for queer Muslims) claimed that Kjetil Rolness and another member of the Freedom of Expression Commission had displayed their genitals in a documentary.

And this summer, the deputy head of the same organisation, Nikita Amber Abbas, came out and claimed in a heartbreaking story that she was among those who were shot outside the London Pub. She became the main report in several media outlets – before the reports were depublished.

Abbas is now charged by the police with making a false statement.

It is this tradition that Kristine Karåla Øren and the organization Norske Dansekunstnere subscribe to. The allegations of incitement and harassment, swastikas and threats have never been documented. Neither are they tried documented.

And it is then the rest of us, we who perhaps define ourselves as the broad, democratic middle, We need to think about:

Do we want this type of argumentation to prevail in the political debate in Norway?

Do we really want people on the authoritarian extremes to be applauded for this? That people who do not accept normal, democratic rules of the game can just throw out unsubstantiated claims – and get away with it?

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As NRK editor Ole Jan Larsen and producer Henrik Hylland Uhlving write:

“It is serious to make gross claims without substantiating them, and then back off and refuse to answer critical questions.”

They are of course absolutely right. Refusing to document gross allegations is not brave or “bold” in any case. On the contrary, it is quite cowardly. And fundamentally undemocratic.

It is in this light that we also have to wonder about the otherwise upbeat people on the juries who stand behind awards and nominations:

• In July this year, the Nobel Peace Center managed to give its dialog price to Salam by Begard Reza because of his alleged efforts to “strengthen unity and understanding in the wake of the Oslo shooting”
• And now Norwegian Dance Artists by Kristine Karåla Øren are nominated by Norsk Scenekunstbruk because of their alleged against

It is possible that it is well intended: That the respectable, well-intentioned motive is to support queer Muslims and Norwegian dance artists in what may seem like an uneven battle against a naughty majority.

But this is not support for vulnerable groups.

On the contrary, this is building up under forces that drag queer Muslims and Norwegian dance artists into a type of mud wrestling that can only harm them.